Luis Suarez: 'Bite truth was hard to face'

Luis Suarez's move to Barcelona was the third most expensive transfer ever

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has said it was "hard to face the truth" of his bite on Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at last summer's World Cup.

The Uruguayan, who joined Barca from Liverpool for £75m in July, was banned for four months for the incident.

"I found it hard to take in and realise what I had done," Suarez, 27, said.

"I'm only human and sometimes it's hard to face the truth. I didn't want to listen to anybody, or speak to anybody. I didn't want to accept it."

Suarez apologised to Chiellini on 30 June - six days after Uruguay's 1-0 Group D win over Italy - saying the Juventus defender "suffered the physical result of a bite in the collision he suffered with me".

Suarez initially said he lost balance and fell on the Italian face first.

Chiellini accepted Suarez's apology via Twitter, saying the incident was "forgotten" and expressing hope Fifa would reduce his ban.

Suarez has been training and playing in friendlies, scoring two goals in Uruguay's 3-0 win over Oman on Monday.

The first competitive match he will be available for following his suspension is Barcelona's league match away to fierce rivals Real Madrid on Saturday, 25 October.

His new side are top of La Liga - four points clear of Real - after dropping just two points in their first seven games.

"I'm getting more anxious to play and help the team out," Suarez added.

"I'm the kind of person who believes that things happen for a reason, and out of all 19 teams in the league, it's precisely against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu that I'll make my comeback. There must be a reason."

Suarez's former side Liverpool have made a less assured start to their own league campaign, lying ninth after seven games in the absence of the striker who scored 31 goals last season.

Suarez, pictured with his two children, retreated to his mother's house in Solymar after being banned

Having led the 2013-14 title race with three games to go, Liverpool finished two points short of Premier League champions Manchester City and, while regretting the Reds' failure to win the title, Suarez is content he did all he could for his former club.

"Liverpool came so close to winning the Premier League, which would have been spectacular," he said.

"I appreciate all the work the team did, but I missed six matches and scored all those goals in the Premier League without being the penalty-taker.

"I really could leave happy because if I hadn't had the attitude and mentality to lead the team, I don't think Liverpool would have done as well as they did."